Living to serve others

Karona Kang in Cambodia has been helping children recover from trafficking and abuse with World Vision since 2009. (Photo: 2014 Vanndeth Um/World Vision)

Karona Kang from Cambodia began working with World Vision as a volunteer. Later, in 2009, she became a housemother at a World Vision Trauma Recovery project for girls who have survived trafficking and abuse.

Today, she tells her story.

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“Mum! Mum!” This is how girls have called me. It means that I have more responsibility to take care of them. It is not easy to be a mother, since I am a woman who has no biological child. I have to listen to them carefully and help them to solve issues.

Thanks to God who teaches me to love others, especially children. I have learned about their issues and my heart is broken when I listen to their stories. I am in their situation when they are happy, angry, and joyful.

My time with World Vision is an opportunity to know them as survivors from human trafficking, sexual exploitation, and abuse. I am very delighted to be part of their lives and contribute to change the world.

I am happy to see the girls smile, having jobs, and being back with their family with happiness. It is not an accident but it is God’s plan for my life to have many children.

But it is not easy to make them happy and back to normal life after they are traumatized by tragic experiences. I need much time to bring them to better feeling, and help from other staff to bring them to health and restore hope. More importantly, I need help from God. Thanks to Him, I got healing and many girls got healing also.

Matthew 13: 1-9 always encourages me to work harder. I have tried my best to give good soil for the seeds and I hope they absorb it as much as they can. The fruitful lives of the girls is my goal.

Sexual exploitation of children in Cambodia is a major concern for me and for all. So we must work together to prevent the issues.

Thank you, God, for giving me the opportunity to serve them.

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World Vision’s Trauma Recovery project has since served nearly 1,000 children and young women, ages 9 to 17, who have successfully been reintegrated back to their families, communities, or placed in long-term foster or small group homes.

The Trauma Recovery project has been providing aftercare, trauma recovery, and healing services to girls who were victims of trafficking and sexual abuse since September 1, 1997.

The girls also have the opportunity to attend non-formal education and vocational life skills training to enable them to start income generating activities once they are reintegrated back to their original community.